BIGHORN SHEEP The Bighorn Sheep is one of the most challenging game animals for hunters, because it lives in mountainous terrains and remote areas that are difficult to access...Read More View All Bighorn Sheep Tips

 

Bighorn sheep are one of the most impressive large mammals in North America. Charging at a great speeds, two rams crashing horns in a duel for dominance is one of the most astounding sites in nature. Not only magnificent in stature and behavior, bighorns also live in some of the most remote and beautiful areas of the American West. Viewing bighorns in the wild is truly an exciting and exhilarating experience.

Bighorn sheep are named for their most notable characteristic, the massive headgear worn by the males of the species. Though both sexes have horns, it is the male (ram) that grows the large spiral or curl that is normally associated with bighorn sheep. The horns are permanent and consist of a sheath of keratin covering a bony core. Horns grow throughout life and reach maximum size at 8 to 10 years of age. Growth of the horns is interrupted during the rutting (breeding) season, at which time a ring is formed in the horn leaving a permanent record of age. The bony core of the horn is honeycombed with air chambers which reduce the weight of the horns. Still, the skull and horns of a mature bighorn ram may weigh in excess of 40 pounds. Females (ewes) also have horns, although they are much smaller, ranging between six and ten inches in length (about the same size of those of a yearling male). Bighorn sheep show a great deal of variation in color, ranging from light tan to chocolate gray. All sheep have white muzzles, rump patches and trim on the back edges of the legs.

Rocky Mountain bighorns are nearly twice as heavy as desert bighorns. Mature Rocky Mountain rams approach 300 pounds while desert rams usually do not exceed 150 pounds. California bighorns are intermediate in size between Rocky Mountain and desert bighorn sheep. Ewes are correspondingly about 40 percent smaller than rams in each of the three subspecies. Although three subspecies of bighorn sheep are currently recognized, recent studies indicate there may be no genetic differences between Rocky Mountain and California bighorns and that perhaps the two subspecies should be considered the same. Body fur usually black or brown but occasionally blonde, or rarely white as in the Kermode subspecies of coastal British Columbia. Brown muzzle. White chest patch is uncommon in most populations. Eyes brown (blue at birth). Skin light.

Distribution

The West is home to three subspecies of bighorn sheep: the Rocky Mountain bighorn (Ovis canadensis canadensis), the desert bighorn (Ovis canadensis nelsoni and the California bighorn (Ovis canadensis californiana).

Behavior

Bighorns are very social animals. Rams however, normally separate themselves from groups of ewes and lambs, except during the breeding season. In Utah, bighorn sheep breed during November and December. During this time of year rams engage in dramatic head butting clashes to establish dominance. During these battles, the two rams face each other, rear up on their back legs, lower their heads, charge and collide heads and horns. The resulting crash of horns meeting horns can often be heard several miles away and is a good way to locate rams during the rutting season. These battles are rarely dangerous to the rams since their horns, skulls and thick, powerful necks are well adapted to absorb the tremendous impacts. Rams which are successful in establishing dominance will mate with several ewes during the breeding season. Ewes move into the most rugged terrain available to give birth to their lambs. The remote nature of these areas provides for an adequate supply of good forage and plenty of escape cover for protection. Lambs are born in May and June about 180 days after mating. Ewes almost always give birth to a single lamb, with twins being rare. Newborn lambs weigh eight to ten pounds and stand 15 to 17 inches at the shoulder. Newborn lambs are well developed and able to move and follow their mothers shortly after birth. Within a day or two, bighorn lambs can climb among the rocky crags almost as well as their mothers. At about two weeks old, lambs begin to nibble on grasses and other vegetation. They can be weaned at as early as one month, though most are weaned at about four to five months. They grow rapidly with ram lambs approaching the size of ewes by 8 months of age. Ewes will reach their adult weight in four to five years, whereas rams will achieve maximum weight at six to seven

Diet

The diet of bighorn sheep is primarily grasses and forbs, although they also utilize shrubs depending on season and availability.

Habitat

Bighorn sheep are uniquely adapted to inhabit some of the most remote and rugged areas in the Rocky Mountains and other western ranges. They exist in some of the most hostile of climatic conditions from the hot, dry canyonlands to the cold, snowy alpine regions of the mountains. Bighorns are sometimes referred to as a wilderness species because of the naturally remote and inaccessible areas they inhabit. Bighorns prefer open habitat types with adjacent steep rocky areas for escape and safety. Habitat is characterized by rugged terrain including canyons, gulches, talus cliffs, steep slopes, mountain tops, and river benches. Most Rocky Mountain bighorns have seasonal migrations with established winter and summer ranges while desert bighorns generally do not migrate. Bighorn sheep are well suited to survive in their rocky enviromnents. They are superb climbers and their hooves have sharp outer edges that grip well and have large, rubbery soles that provide traction on smooth rock. Bighorn habitat in North America is highly varied but is characterized by an open landscape and stable plant communities in which grasses predominate.

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